Water diversion apparatus

ABSTRACT

A water diversion apparatus for a standard toilet tank having a fitting connected to a discharge tube and a water supply, such that the discharge tube discharges into an aesthetic container. The aesthetic container may be an aquarium or a cascade and pool. When the toilet is flushed, water is partially diverted from the toilet to the aesthetic container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/382,301, filed on Mar. 5, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,537.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to water devices, and moreparticularly to an apparatus for partially diverting water from a toiletfor use by an aesthetic container.

The bathroom is an often overlooked area of the house, especially whenit comes to aesthetically pleasing furnishings. The area around thetoilet is a particularly neglected area and is often reserved for airfresheners and deodorants. The related art reflects some unusual devicesthat serve as toilet elements and decorative combinations.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,411 issued to Demoret outlines the use of anaquarium that is built into the toilet tank assembly. Specifically, anaquarium is situated around the perimeter of the toilet tank, wherebyfish and other freshwater creatures can comfortably live. There is alsoa second embodiment of this invention where an aquarium tank is built ontop of the toilet tank.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,486 issued to Collavo outlines the use of adecorative toilet tank cover which also allows a user to more easilymonitor the toilet tank fill mechanism as well as being an aestheticimprovement to the top of the tank. Molded into the tank cover are avariety of figures, with the first figure receiving discharge from thefloat valve vent upon the flushing of the toilet. The fluid is thendirected towards an opening in the second figure, which allows the fluidto drain into the drain standpipe of the toilet.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or incombination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the invention is to provide an apparatus for partiallydiverting water from a toilet for use by an aesthetic container.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided an aquarium thatreceives water partially diverted from the toilet.

In yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a cascade thatreceives water partially diverted from the toilet.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a waterdiverting apparatus including a water supply, means for partiallydiverting water from the water supply, an aesthetic container, such asan aquarium, for receiving the diverted water, and an outlet tubeoperatively connected to the aesthetic container.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided anaesthetic device including a container for receiving water from a watersupply, the container having a top and a bottom, an inlet at the top andan outlet at the bottom; means for periodically delivering water fromthe water supply to the inlet; an outlet tube operatively connected tothe outlet and having an anti-siphoning device; and the anti-siphoningdevice being located at a height above the bottom of the container suchthat the height of the anti-siphoning device controls a level of thewater in the container.

The above aspects are merely illustrative and should not be construed asall-inclusive. The aspects should not be construed as limiting the scopeof the invention, rather the scope of the invention is detailed in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the best known mode ofcarrying out one or more embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the waterdiversion apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment showing therectangular aquarium;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the waterdiversion apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the waterdiversion apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a water diversionapparatus 10. A toilet tank 12 and a lid 14 are preferably made ofplastic, cast plaster, or ceramic material. When a toilet 16 is flushed,all the water leaves the tank 12, and the tank 12 must then be filled.The tank 12 is filled by water coming up through a fill standpipe 18.The water then is directed into the tank 12 by a float valve 20. Thefloat valve 20 has a water discharge vent 22 which emits water dischargefrom the float valve 20. A refill tube 24 is operatively attached to thewater discharge vent 22. Normally, the refill tube 24 delivers waterfrom the float valve 20 to an overflow pipe 28; however, refill water ispartially diverted by splicing a fitting 26 into the refill tube 24. Inthe preferred embodiment, the fitting 26 is conveniently in the shape ofa “T.” The fitting 26 allows refill water to flow through the refilltube 24 to the overflow pipe 28 and also allows refill water to flowthrough a discharge tube 30. The overflow pipe 28 is connected to atoilet bowl 32. Thus, the toilet bowl 32 is filled by the refill tube24. With the fitting 26 connected, the refill tube 24 still fills thetoilet bowl 32 with water but now a portion of the water is divertedthrough the discharge tube 30. The diverted water may be used by variousaesthetic container apparatuses.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment in which the aesthetic containercomprises an aquarium 40 for housing various aquatic creatures but isparticularly advantageous for fish. The aquarium 40 is rectangular inshape and can be made of any material impervious to water but ispreferably plastic. The aquarium 40 should be transparent so fish may beseen and can be made of acrylic plastic. The aquarium 40 may be moldedin one piece. In some embodiments, a decorative scenic background, suchas sea weed or a sunken ship, may be painted or illustrated on one ormore sides of the aquarium 40. The aquarium 40 has a top and a bottom.The top of the aquarium 40 forms an inlet 42. The discharge tube 30 isoperatively connected to the inlet 42. The discharge tube 30 may beconnected to the top of the aquarium 40 through the use of an inletclamp 44. By connecting the discharge tube 30 to the inlet 42, refillwater is transferred to the aquarium 40. The aquarium 40 furtherincludes an outlet 46. In the preferred embodiment, the outlet 46 isadvantageously located on the bottom of the aquarium 40. The outlet 46,however, may be placed in other locations on the aquarium 40. Further,the bottom of the aquarium 40 slopes towards the outlet 46 and allinside corners of the aquarium 40 should be rounded. In this way, debriswill not build up in the corners of the aquarium 40, and all debris ischanneled toward the outlet 46.

An outlet tube 48 is operatively connected to the outlet 46. The outlettube 48 can be a hose or piping. In the preferred embodiment, the outlettube 48 is flexible plastic hose and has a diameter larger than thedischarge tube 30. The outlet tube 48 includes an anti-siphoning device50. The anti-siphoning device 50 may include various known devices, suchas a spring loaded flap but is preferably a short piece of PVC plasticpiping with a hole for venting. However, the anti-siphoning device 50may simply be a section of the outlet tube 48 being dimensioned to asignificant diameter such that water flowing through the outlet tube 48does not completely fill it, thereby preventing a siphoning effect. Thewater level in the aquarium 40 may be controlled by adjusting the heightof the anti-siphoning device 50. This may be accomplished by a hanger51. The hanger 51 is available in various lengths. The longer the hanger51 length, the lower the water level. The outlet tube 48 is operativelyconnected to the toilet bowl 32. The outlet tube 48 may be connected tothe toilet bowl 32 through the use of an outlet clamp 52 (see FIG. 1).In some embodiments, the outlet tube 48 is connected to the toilet 16 insuch a way that the water may be reused. For example, the outlet tube 48may be connected to the overflow pipe 28 or simply to the toilet tank12.

The aquarium 40 may also be mounted on wall using brackets 56. As bestseen in FIG. 1, the brackets 56 may also be used to mount the aquarium40 to the toilet tank 12. The aquarium 40 may also be manufactured aspart of the toilet tank 12 or the lid 14.

The aquarium 40 as shown in the preferred embodiment is of particularadvantage in that it provides a low maintenance fish tank. The aquariumwater is oxygenated and replenished by the refill water flowing in thedischarge tube 30. Because the discharge tube 30 is of some height abovethe water level, the splashing refill water will oxygenate as it addswater to the aquarium 40. Moreover, adding fresh water causes water anddebris to flow from the outlet 46 through the outlet tube 48. Thus, byflushing the toilet 16, fresh oxygenated water is added to the aquarium40, and waste water and debris are flushed away. The waste water anddebris conveniently pass through the outlet tube 48 to the toilet. Thislow maintenance fish tank requires no filter system and no localelectricity. It is virtually self-cleaning and serves as an aestheticwater conservation apparatus. The automatic water changing featureenables one to have a fresh, clean aquarium. It also provides a methodfor regulating the amount of chlorine and nitrate in the aquarium. Someof this may be accomplished by chemical additives, but the self cleaningfeature is one of the things that makes this aquarium advantangeous.

If too much water is added to the aquarium 40, the water will have toomuch chlorine and be too cold for the fish. If, however, too littlefresh water is added to the aquarium, the water will be murky andcontain excessive amounts of nitrate and debris. Because the fish cannotdo well if too much water or too little goes into the aquarium 40, onemust appropriately set the height of the anti-siphoning device 50 toproperly maintain the water level in the aquarium 40 in relation to theaverage number of times the toilet 16 is flushed. In balancing properwater level, water temperature, water chemicals, aquarium debris, andtypes of aquatic life all come into play. There are a number of ways tobalance these issues. One way is to adjust the overall volume theaquarium 40 holds; with a larger volume of water in the aquarium 40, anynew addition of water will represent a smaller percent volume change.

Another way would be to keep the same smaller size aquarium 40, but puta smaller discharge tube 30 going into the aquarium 40 so a smalleramount of water goes in, thereby keeping the percentage change per dayoptimal. This might be necessary, for example, in a home with a largefamily that flushes the toilet 16 a lot. In a home that only flushes thetoilet 16 once a day, a larger volume change per flush would be needed.That may be accomplished by having a larger discharge tube 30 going in,having a smaller volume aquarium 40 to start with, or by setting theanti-siphoning device 50 to a lower level.

Another way to keep the amount of water change per day optimized, wouldbe to open or close a small water supply valve that feeds the tank. Thismay come into play if the aquarium 40 is not attached to a toilet, butis set up somewhere else that has a water supply and drain. This waterinflow could be activated manually or set by a commercially availablewatering timer such that water is periodically delivered to the aquarium40.

The types of aquatic life in the aquarium is another factor in selectingoptimum water volume. For example, a fish that produces more waste, suchas a Goldfish, needs a larger water volume change. On the other hand, afish such as a Betta makes relatively little waste and therefore needsless water changed per period of time.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the container in the form of anaquarium 80. In this second embodiment the aquarium 80 is cylindricaland has an aquarium base 54. The aquarium base 54 is conveniently in theform of a PVC reduction fitting, such as a three inch to one andone-half inch pipe adapter. The aquarium base 54 has a hole 62. Theaquarium 80 has a bowl portion 60. The bowl portion 60 can made from aplastic two liter bottle with a neck. The neck of the bowl portion 60 isoperatively connected to the aquarium base 54. The outlet tube 48 goesthrough the hole 62 and is operatively connected to the bowl portion 60.The aquarium base 54 is filled with a weight (not shown). In thisembodiment, the weight is concrete, but other materials may be similarlysuitable. The aquarium 80 may sit upon the lid 14 of the toilet 16 orupon some other item in the bathroom, such as a support stand. A supportstand is generally any piece of furniture having a smooth flat slabfixed on legs. The aquarium 80 may be manufactured as part of the tank12 or the lid 14.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the aesthetic container is in the form of acascade and pool 70. In this embodiment, the cascade and pool 70includes a tank 72, an artificial landscape 74, an inlet 76, and anoutlet 78. The artificial landscape 74 includes a stagnant area 77 and,in some embodiments, may include a scenic background, such as rockformations. The tank 72 may be mounted on a wall using brackets 56. Thecascade and pool 70 may also be incorporated into the toilet tank 12 orthe lid 14. The discharge tube 30 is operatively connected to the inlet76. The discharge tube 30 may be connected to the cascade and pool 70 bymeans of an inlet clamp 73. When the toilet is flushed, water flowsthrough the discharge tube 30 and into the inlet 76. The water puddlesin the stagnant area 77 before flowing in a waterfall 75 and then poolsin a bottom of the tank 72. The water level in the tank 72 may beadjusted by selecting the location of the outlet 78. The outlet tube 48is operatively connected to the outlet 78. The outlet tube 48 isoperatively connected to the toilet bowl 32. The outlet tube 48 may beconnected to the toilet bowl 32 through the use of the outlet clamp 52,as shown in FIG. 1.

In some embodiments, the stagnant area 77 may be omitted such that thewater merely flows over the artificial landscape 74. In otherembodiments, the water will not pool in the bottom of the tank 72 butwill simply drain through the outlet 78. In some embodiments, the outlettube 48 is connected to the toilet 16 in such a way that the water maybe reused.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can beobtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and theaccompanying claims. The invention in its broader aspects is not limitedto the specific steps and apparatus shown and described but departuresmay be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claimswithout departing from the principles of the invention and withoutsacrificing its chief advantages.

1. A water diversion apparatus for a standard toilet having a fillstandpipe, a float valve flushing mechanism connected to the fillstandpipe and having a refill tube for delivering refill water from thestandpipe to an overflow tube after flushing, comprising: a fittingoperatively connected to a discharge tube and the refill tube, such thatrefill water is partially diverted by the fitting to the discharge tube;the discharge tube operatively connected to a container in the form of acascade and pool having an artificial landscape, said artificiallandscape incorporating water, the container having an inlet, a bottom,and an outlet, the partially diverted refill water being discharged intothe inlet of the container by the discharge tube; and an outlet tubeoperatively connected to the container at the outlet.
 2. The waterdiversion apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outlet is substantially inthe bottom of the container.
 3. The water diversion apparatus of claim1, wherein the toilet includes a tank and the container is fluidlyconnected to the tank.
 4. The water diversion apparatus of claim 1wherein said partially diverted water flows over at least a part of theartificial landscape.
 5. The water diversion apparatus of claim 1,wherein the container includes a scenic background.
 6. The waterdiversion apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toilet includes a toilet lidand a base of the container is operatively engaged with the toilet lid.7. The water diversion apparatus of claim 1, wherein the containerfurther includes an inlet clamp to secure the discharge tube to thecontainer inlet.
 8. The water diversion apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe container further includes mounting brackets for mounting thecontainer.
 9. The water diversion apparatus of claim 1, wherein theoutlet tube is operatively connected to the toilet.
 10. The waterdiversion apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an outlet clamp tosecure the outlet tube to a toilet bowl.
 11. A water diversion apparatusfor a standard toilet having a fill standpipe, a float valve flushingmechanism connected to the fill standpipe and having a refill tube fordelivering refill water from the standpipe to an overflow tube afterflushing, comprising: a fitting operatively connected to a dischargetube and the refill tube, such that refill water is partially divertedby the fitting to the discharge tube; the discharge tube operativelyconnected to a container, the container being in the form of adecorative device, said decorative device including a cascade and poolhaving an artificial landscape and the container having a bottom, aninlet, and an outlet, the outlet located substantially in the bottom,the partially diverted refill water is discharged into the container atthe inlet by the discharge tube; an outlet tube operatively connected atone end to the container outlet and at the other to the toilet; and theoutlet tube including an anti-siphoning device located at a height abovethe bottom, such that the height of the anti-siphoning device controls alevel of refill water in the container, whereby upon flushing, water ispartially diverted from the toilet to the container, water exits thecontainer at the outlet, and water flows through the outlet tube intothe toilet.